Eisenhower Joint Replacement Center

One Step Closer to a Walk in the Park

Little did our predecessors know that in the year 2006, getting a joint replacement — a procedure once considered quite complicated and dramatic — would be almost as easy as a jaunt to the local ice cream parlor for a quick treat.

Although medicine will never be as uneventful as a calm Sunday afternoon’s root beer float, the Eisenhower Joint Replacement Center is so advanced and so distinguished in its field, that a joint replacement can now be a relatively simple, straightforward, and even uncomplicated procedure. According to the most recent clinical data from 2004, Eisenhower Medical Center is again ranked number two in the state of California, only 93 joints behind Hoag Hospital (which is more than twice the size of Eisenhower). This year, with the launch of the Eisenhower Joint Replacement Center, the total number of joint replacements at Eisenhower is rising.

This is in large part due to the implementation of seamless care protocols and new innovations in minimally invasive surgery. “Nationally, only about 25 to 30 percent of joint replacements are done with minimally invasive procedures,” says Raj Sinha, MD, PhD, and an Eisenhower Orthopedic Surgeon. “But here at Eisenhower, we use these techniques with approximately 95 percent of our joint replacement patients, which is an astounding number.”

Dr. Sinha who serves the Center, along with Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons Robert Murphy, MD, and Adrian Graff-Radford, MD, as well as newcomer John Velyvis, MD, a Board- Eligible Orthopedic Surgeon, attributes much of this increased volume to the advancement and modification of the first generation of minimally invasive technologies, many of which are being tested at the Center. The Center has also been actively involved in the development and testing of new implant materials and designs.

“Although we’re moving forward on the leading edge of new technologies, we use dedicated protocols, which allow us to give patients a very standardized, good joint replacement experience and a thorough recovery,” Dr. Sinha explains. “We also have a new pain management strategy in place that dramatically limits the peaks and valleys that traditionally accompany recovery from this type of surgery, as well as actively educate patients in the post-operation process.”

Patient education is a hallmark of the Eisenhower Joint Replacement Center, which employs a team of specialists as a means to that end — specialists that include physical therapists, nurses and clinical coordinators.

Part of Eisenhower’s Orthopedics Center of Excellence, the new Center provides a unified care approach from consultation to surgery, with integrated post-operative care and rehabilitation. Patients receive top-notch attention from some of the most skilled surgeons in the industry using the most advanced instrumentation and equipment.

The benefits of minimally invasive are numerous and apparent almost immediately — notably within the first three months. Key benefits include: relief of pain, improvement in physical function, increased range of motion or mobility, increased social interaction and improved overall health — a more active, pain free, independent lifestyle.

“We’re now taking these standardized protocols to local skilled nursing facilities and aftercare professionals,” Dr. Sinha says. “Leaving the hospital is just another step in the process.”

For more information about the Eisenhower Joint Replacement Center, please call 760-773-4545